Let it snow!

Today I'm at a conference. It's nice to be a student - multitasking at it's finest!

This weekend we got hammered with snow, Provo got about 8 inches. Friday night we got dinner to-go and watched a Christmas movie as the blizzard raged outside. We woke up Saturday morning to lots and lots of snow. Stephen has become admit about shoveling our curb so he can park there - so he shoveled and I took pictures of the beauty.

This was our first big snow, it was really fun!

Mrs. Moore

I realized when Aleasha taught first grade, there is a lot to learn in that grade. I'm sure I learned it all when I was there, but what I remember most about first grade is
Mrs. Moore
She was a great teacher. I still remember learning how to spell "of", I thought it was "ov"...makes sense right?! I remember her sending naughty boys to the corner. (weird how I do that with 8th graders:) But what I remember most about Mrs. Moore - is what a beautiful and classy woman she was. She would wear the most beautiful clothes, always skirts and heels, and always looked her best. According to my mom, when she (mom) would ask me how my day was, I would always tell her what Mrs. Moore was wearing that day. I guess I've always loved clothes:)

Yesterday, one of my students asked me "Mrs. Case, how big is your closet?" Sometimes I have to try really hard not to laugh. I hesitated and she continued, "I've just never seen you wear the same outfit twice" I laughed to myself thinking Stephen would get a kick out of this, considering we do have a room that is called "Jarelle's changing room". But I also thought of Mrs. Moore and how important her outfits were to me. If my students learn nothing about food, maybe they will at least see that it is beautiful to wear clothes that are modest and classy.

Thank you Mrs. Moore for teaching me how to spell "of", punish naughty boys, but especially - how to dress like a teacher!

An Engagement Story

I don't like to write a lot, it's boring, but here's a story. If only for our own journaling purpose.

One year ago to the day yesterday (or date today) Stephen proposed and I said yes:)

Stephen had been home 2 weeks from his mission (yes, I did mean weeks). I had seen him for the first time on Friday, October 21, which just happend to be the 5 year anniversary from our very first date. We had talked on the phone late Wednesday night, the day he got home. It was a VERY long day for me! It was a five minute conversation, but he ended it by saying "I love you" and I laughed and didn't say it back. Mean, I know.

I came home Friday, and finally saw him Friday night. He drove to my house, but parked a few houses down so my family couldn't sneak. I ran from my front door all the way to him and (as Stephen says) walloped him! And I did, and then I kissed him, big:) Sunday was his talk at church. That night we had a DTR (define the relationship) because I was going back to BYU the next day. I told him I wanted to marry him, and was ready whenever he was. I'm straight-forward. I think it scared him a little, but he acted pretty cool. I think he said he felt the same way... But we decided we would talk more about it over Thanksgiving break when I would be back in AZ

On Sunday - he had been a missionary 5 days ago:)

Over the next two weeks we talked everyday, and tossed around the idea of getting married. He went over and chatted with my parents to let them know what was going on. Not a big deal right?! Two weeks from seeing each other, he came up to Utah to visit me and his siblings. We went on a date to the Roof Restaurant in SLC, overlooking the temple (my temple:) It was our first date in two years. [In a way, Stephen proposed on the first date] Dinner was great, but Stephen was a bit weird. I kept thinking "he is still weird, why isn't he talking to me, why are we eating at such an expensive place?"

Right after dinner - wondering why we had to take this picture...

After dinner we were sitting in front of the temple. Stephen asked "so do you really want to get married here?" I said of course, I always have, very matter-of-factly. And then he got on his knee, asked me to marry him, and started to put a ring on my right finger. I said yes, and then told him the other hand. It was freezing, so we kissed, took a picture, and ran inside.  We called our families, they were all a bit surprised it happened so soon but they all knew it was coming eventually.

after the proposal - Stephen is freezing!

my roommates made a poster by the time we got back to provo and had it hanging outside at our apartment complex "congrats on getting engaged Stephen & Jarelle"

I love the way Stephen did it all. He did not waste time - I said I wanted to marry him, and he made it happen. He wanted to surprise me so he got a small, inexpensive ring. I was surprised then got to personally design my own ring.

Now we are happily married and living ever after:)

Lately

After NYC we had a lot of catch up. We had a great time, but as the plane took off I told Stephen I'd be ok NOT living there. My sweet husband has now dropped the idea of banking and is doing other finance stuff. Here's what we have been doing:

-Halloween Cruise: we had 16 people over for dinner then we all went on the Halloween Cruise. It sounds really fancy. It's just a boat ride down the Provo River. But it's kid friendly, and it's been a going tradition for 3 years. One more year to go!

-Fall - Utah has a beautiful Fall season. I love driving around and seeing bright yellow and red trees. Sad it only lasts a month or so. It's been record high temperatures for UT, almost AZ-like. I'm dreading the snow...

-Ward FHE Pumpkin Carving

We made a minion from Despicable Me, one of my favorite movies

He almost made it to Halloween, he dried up a few days too early

But then we might have had a trick-or-treater...

-Stephen went to San Francisco with BYU. He had a good time, really liked the city, and had fun with the guys from his classes. While he was gone I had sleepovers with my roommates and threw a baby shower...and surprised him with new pillows for our couch because I didn't like the old ones:) 

SF has tall buildings too

These boys all stayed in a hotel room together

my husband is a stud!

I've only spent a few hours in SF on a dance tour stop, but I told Stephen he had to go here and get a Sundae

-Halloween - we have never been huge Halloween people. It's especially weird when you're too old to trick-or-treat, too boring to have a party and be up late, and don't have cute babies to dress up. So we had a family dinner, and stole Caitlin's glasses to take a picture. 

I made dessert for the dinner. It was pretty. i didn't have to frost it, my type of cake!

-Stephen has been home from his mission for over a year. It was a big day. Oh, I was nervous all day at the thought of talking to him after two years. Funny how life works:)

Things that make me happy:

-We have been listening to Christmas music since September. Stephen said it was a "ber" month so it was time. Then I started listening to it at school during my prep to make me happy. And today I heard it on the radio. I sang it loud and proud:)

 Goodbye October, Hello Christmas!

-We're going to AZ for Thanksgiving. That might seem like the obvious place to go considering that's where most of our family lives. But it was only decided upon yesterday, I'm a very happy girl to be able to cook that Thursday morning with my mom and sisters (in-laws now! and maybe Caleb) in AZ. So happy!

-There are no more orange cones on 1-15 north between Provo and Lehi. I thought it would never happen. My morning commune is now 5 minutes shorter = more sleep:) 

every utah road

-It's Friday. My supervisor observed me today and said I was a "fantastic" teacher:)

NYC

We went to New York City this past weekend. I had Fall Break (best thing ever!) and Stephen wanted to go out to network. I kind of tagged along. We had a lot of fun seeing the city, it is so different from our life now. It's a HUGE city on a tiny island

Mary was our tour guide for the morning - THANK YOU!

Cool sculpture at the Met

Central Park then city

 The 9/11 memorial is really nice. They have about 17,000 visitors each day! It was packed. The new tower is HUGE, bigger than the Twin towers.

There are two of these memorials, one for each tower

times square

Manhattan

(see the Freedom Tower, HUGE hu?!)

on the Staten Island ferry

Inside the garment district

This friend of Mary's makes patterns - so cool!

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Ice Rink

they are spraying it with water, making the ice - the next day people were skating on it

it was that cold...in October...

Stephen wanted to know if I could live there -

Yes, because the Rack is closer to me there than here in Utah

at Phantom of the Opera

the McGraw-Hill buildings (3)

so that's what our textbooks pay for!

Empire state building & Chrysler building

UN building

the views from where we stayed

thank you Mary for the hook-ups

Lady Liberty

a beautiful cathedral on Columbia campus

thanks to Craig for the tour

Conference & Crepes

We watched most of the General Conference sessions in jammies, eating really good food, and crocheting with Caitlin and Jonny. It was a good time. We did go to one session, which was just great.

I continued my family tradition of making crepes on Conference sunday morning. Somehow I've always had my parents here I think, because I've never done it on my own. I started making them before the morning session and Facetime-d home the whole hour before. We made crepes together, it was cute. I love technology, it makes it easier to be the only kid away from home.

Love conference, love crepes, and love family!

making crepes the night before

Afternoon in SLC

Stephen also had a mission reunion Sunday night. He LOVED it! It's cute to see a bunch of 21-25 year old men give each other big hugs. They certainly have a unique bond as mission companions. I even made friends with some wives because we get ditched most of the night. 

Vina del Mar, Chile Mission

most of the missionaries during the Gilespie's time

the presidents are in the center, third row, splitting guy in red tie

Stephen is in the back row, where an extra missionary is poking up

mission pres, Justin Brady, Tim Hughes, Stephen

some of S best friends

Josh David - We love him

Stephen and him are CLOSE

He showed up at our house the other night at 10pm to tell us about a girl

(stephen didn't answered his three calls, then a text "hey man, I'm at your door")

Stephen needs more boy friends in his life